Refrigerator freight car



Nov. 15, 1938. K. SCHWEBS REFRIGERATOR FREIGHT CAR Filed Sept. 9, 1937 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RElSSUED JUL 1 194 REFRIGERATOR FREIGHT CAR Kent Schwebs, Hortonville, Wis.

Application September 9, 1937, Serial No. 163,065

3 Claims. (Cl. 62-49) This invention appertains to shipping of perishable articles, and more particularly to refrigerator freight cars and trucks, and is an improvement on my pending application, Serial No.

similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter F generally indicates a refrigerator freight car, and the same embodies the usual insulated 159,363, filed August 16, 1937. body 5 having formed at each end thereof bunk" 5 In said application,I illustrated means for coners B for the reception of ice I. The ice rests tinuously circulating air through the foodstuffs on a grating 8 arranged above the level of the and the ice bunkers to facilitate the cooling and car floor. The body of the car is likewise prokeeping thereof, by the use of air-driven turbines. vided with a suitable perforated false bottom 9,

Where compressed air was taken from the comon which the foodstuffs to be shipped are placed. 10 pressed air brakes for operating the turbines, In accordance with my invention, I arranged there was the constant danger of taking too much at the upper end of the bunker an air-circulatair from the brake system, and the air coming fan in, which is adapted to draw air through pressors were expensive to maintain in working the bunker and circulate the same over and condition. through the foodstuffs in the car. It is to be It is, therefore, one of the primary objects understood that a fan is provided at each end of my invention to provide a pump mechanism of the car, and the operation of the fan is such operated in a novel manner from the car wheels as to draw air from under the false floor 9, for placing a liquid, such as oil, under pressure through the bunker, and over the top of the foodand utilizing the liquid for operating a turbine, stuffs. The fan 10 is adapted to be driven by a which, in turn, is utilized for actuating the fan turbine II, which can be of any desired make for circulating the air through the car. or character. If preferred, means can be pro- A further salient object of my invention is to vided for adjusting the position of the fan and provide a rockable platform on one of the car turbine, and, if desired, the same can bemounted trucks carrying a rotary pump and a drive shaft within a suitable hood I2. for the pump provided with a friction pulley In accordance with my invention, I provide urged into engagement with one of the car wheels novel means for supplying fluid under pressure for continuously operating the pump, with novelv to the turbine, and this means consists of a means for leading the fluid under pressure from rotary pump l3. This rotary pump I3 is mountthe pump to the turbine. ed upon a platform or lever M. The lever I4 A further object of my invention is to provide is rockably mounted at one end, as at IS, on a a novel arrangement of pipes and valves for consuitable portion of one of the trucks iii of the necting the rotary pump with the turbine, wherefreight car. The drive shaft ll of the pump by; irrespective of the direction of rotation of the has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a friction pump by the car wheels, the turbine will be conpulley l8, which is adapted to rest upon the tinuously driven in one direction. periphery of one of the car wheels 19 of the car With these and other objects in View, the intruck 16. vention consists in the novel construction, ar- Spring means 20 may be provided for norrangement, and formation of parts, as will be mally urging the lever l4 downwardly so that the hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, friction pulley II! will be held continuously in and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in engagement with its car wheel. The lever or which drawing: platform I4 can also have mounted thereon a Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section reservoir tank 2| for the liquid which is to be through a refrigerated freight car, showing my placed under pressure. I prefer to utilize oil, improved appliance incorporated therewith. as oil will not freeze during the winter season Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating and will serve as means for maintaining the pump the novel arrangement of pipes and valves for in good working condition at all times. connecting the rotary pump with the turbine, By referring to Figure 2, it can be seen that I whereby to rotate the turbine continuously in connect with the ports 22 and 23 of the pump 13, one direction, irrespective of the direction of roliquid-conducting pipes 24 and 25 respectively. tation of the pump. These pipes 24 and 25 are in turn connected by Figure 3 is a detail fragmentary view illus- T-couplings with pipes 26 and 21. The pipes 26 trating the means utilized for operating the and 21, at one side, are connected with a pipe 28, pump, which leads to the reservoir tank 2|. The pipes Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein 26 and 21 are connected on the other side with a pipe 29, the p rpose of which will be later described.

The pipe 23, on opposite sides of the pipe 24, has interposed therein one-way check valves 30 and II. The pipe 21, on opposite sides of the pipe 25, has interposed in the length thereof one-way check valves 32 and 33. The pipe 23 has a pressure relief valve 34 interposed in the length thereof and this relief valve is connected with a by-pass pipe 35 which leads to the reservoir 2|. All of these pipe and valves mentioned are preferably mounted upon the rocking platform or lever I4, and feed and return pipes 38 and 31 are arranged in the freight car. The feed pipe 38 is connected with the pipe 23 by flexible pipe or hose 33, and the return pipe ll is connected with the reservoir 2| by flexible pipe or hose 33.

The pipe 36 supplies fluid under pressure to one or more nozzles 40 for supplying the liquid under pressure to the buckets of the turbine wheel. As the oil leaves the turbine wheel, the same is collected in the turbine casing and flows back into the reservoir through the pipes 31 and 33.

The arrangement of the pipes and valves on the car truck is such that, irrespective of the direction of the rotation of the pump by the car wheels, the turbine will be driven continuously in one direction.

By referring to Figure 2 and presuming that the pump is driven in a direction for forcing liquid under pressure through the pipe 24 and for drawing the liquid from the pipe 25, the liquid under pressure flowing through the pipe 24 will seat the one-way check valve 30 and will open the one-way check valve 3|, and this liquid under pressure will flow through the pipe 23 to the feed pipe 36 of the turbine. The pressure of the fluid will close the valve 33. The suction in the pipe 25 will open the one-way check valve 32, and consequently liquid will be drawn from the reservoir.

If the pump is driven in a reverse direction, and the fluid is forced under pressure through the pipe 25, and liquid is drawn into the pump from the pipe 24, then the one-way check valve 33 will be opened, and the liquid will be supplied to the turbine through the pipe 29 and pipe 36. The liquid under pressure will seat the one-way check valve 32, and suction in the pipe 24 will open the one-way check valve 30, and thus liquid will be drawn from the reservoir 2| to the pump. A line pipe 4| can be connected with the pipe 36 for conducting liquid under pressure to the turbine disposed at the opposite end of the car.

It is to be understood that various arrangements of the lever or platform It can be had, and that the same can be mounted in various manners on the car truck, and that the arrangement shown is only by the way of illustration. If desired, the

tank itself can form the lever or part thereof, and the tank can carry the pump and the check and safety valves.

While I have referred to the bunker 6 as receiving ice, it is to be understood that in the winter season a heater may be substituted for the ice, whereby the foodstuifs will be maintained against freezing.

During loading and while the car is standing still, extraneous motors can be utilized for operating the pump, or other means can be provided for circulating air through the car.

It is also to be understood that while I have shown the pump driven from the car wheel, the pump can be driven in any preferred manner from any moving part of the car. Likewise, a centrifugal or other positive air displacement pump can be utilized.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In a refrigerator car having a storage compartment therein and a bunker, of an air-circulating fan arranged adjacent to the bunker for drawing air therethrough and delivering air to the storage compartment, and means for operating the fan including a turbine, a pump for delivering liquid under pressure to the turbine, means for driving the pump from a moving part of the car, and means i r leading the liquid from the pump continuousl in'one direction to the turbine, irrespective of the direction of rotation of the pump.

2. A refrigerator car having a storage compartment therein and a bunker, of an air-circulating fan arranged adjacent to the bunker for drawing air therethrough and delivering air into the storage compartment, and means for operating the fan, including a turbine, a rotary pump, means for driving the pump from a moving part of the car, a reservoir, a feed pipe for liquid under pressure leading to the turbine, a return line for spent liquid, connecting the turbine with the reservoir, oppositely directed pipes connected with the ports of the pump, and a system of pipes and one-way check valves for connecting the last mentioned pipes with the feed and return pipes for continuously delivering liquid under pressure to the feed pipe, irrespective of the direction of rotation of the pump.

3. In a refrigerator car having a storage compartment and a bunker therein, of an air-circulating fan arranged adjacent to the bunker for drawing air therethrough and for delivering the air into the storage compartment, and means for operating the fan including a turbine, a rotary pump, a reservoir for liquid, a lever rockably mounted at one end upon one of the trucks of the I car carrying the pump and the reservoir, a friction pulley connected with the drive shaft of the pump, spring means engaging the lever normally holding the friction pulley in engagement with one of the car wheels of the car truck, a feed pipe for conducting liquid under pressure of the turbine, a return pipe for conducting spent liquid from the turbine to the reservoir, oppositely directed pipes connected with the ports of the pump, branch pipes connected with the last mentioned pipes having one-way check valves at their terminals, means connecting the check valves at one side of the reservoir, and means connecting the check valves at the other side to the feed pipe.

KENT SCHWEBS. 

